Mobile self-management compliance and notification method, system and computer program product

ABSTRACT

A remote interactive method, system and computer program product is provided for self-managing a person&#39;s regular lifestyle needs through controlled notification and feedback. The invention provides a simple, cost effective and flexible self-management and compliance scheme that does not require third party intervention or treatment options typical with immediate-response or alert-based systems. The invention also provides for long term management and analysis for the benefit of the individual. In implementing the invention in a healthcare environment, the individual will gain a better understanding of managing their lifestyle and behaviour. A related business model is also disclosed.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.60/754,603 filed Dec. 30, 2005.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to communication systems for usercompliance and monitoring. More particularly, the present inventionrelates to interactive communication systems for the compliance andmonitoring health. The present invention further relates to a method ofgenerating revenue for an interactive communication system forcompliance and monitoring health.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For patients suffering from chronic illness, monitoring of theircondition and ensuring compliance of health regimes is vital to theirlong term health. Often patients are not successful at keeping properrecords of health statistics related to their condition. Logbooks, PDAsand computers adapted to monitor their conditions often become a burden,furthering their suffering instead of being a tool to assist them ineffectively dealing with their condition.

In general, the ability to ensure the monitoring and response tochanging physiological conditions in real time gives the patient theability to react to their condition before an emergency occurs. Theimproved care through direct patient management means reduced costsassociated with chronic conditions: less physician visits, less hospitalvisits and fewer sick days. It is documented that patient are up to 90%more compliant in reporting data using electronic diaries (eDiaries)versus paper based systems.

Diabetes is an example of a particularly difficult chronic conditionrequiring constant monitoring and attention by the patient. Diabetes isassociated with an increased risk for a number of serious, oftenlife-threatening complications and certain groups may experience an evengreater threat. There are currently approximately 20 million people inNorth America alone suffering from Diabetes; this number is estimated toclimb to 45 million by 2010. Good diabetes management can help reducerisk. However, approximately 70% of Diabetics do not manage theirdisease. In recent report issued by the American Association of ClinicalEndocrinologists (AACE) entitled the “State of Diabetes in America”,blood sugar control across the United States was examined. The findingsrevealed that approximately two out of three Americans with type 2diabetes analyzed in the study did not reach the AACE-recommended targetblood sugar goal in 2003 and 2004.

Further, studies in the United States and abroad have found thatimproved glycemic control benefits people with either type 1 or type 2Diabetes. In fact, after a 17 year federal study, the New EnglandJournal of Medicine reported in the Dec. 22, 2005 issue that “intensecontrol of blood sugar prevents heart attacks and strokes by nearly50%”. According to the American Diabetes Association, every percentagepoint drop in A1C blood test results (e.g., from 8.0% to 7.0%) reducesthe risk of microvascular complications (eye, kidney, and nervediseases) by 40%.

In addition to glucose monitoring and control, blood pressure controlreduces the risk of cardiovascular disease (heart disease or stroke)among persons with diabetes by 33% to 50%, and the risk of microvascularcomplications (eye, kidney, and nerve diseases) by approximately 33%[American Diabetes Association]. In general, for every 10 mm Hgreduction in systolic blood pressure, the risk for any complicationrelated to diabetes is reduced by 12%. The control of blood lipids alsois important, with studies showing that improved control of cholesterolor blood lipids (for example, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides) can reducecardiovascular complications by 20% to 50%.

In addition to those suffering from chronic disease, preventativemedicine often requires the monitoring of specific health-relatedstatistics. For example, the monitoring of blood pressure andcholesterol is necessary for many people, especially those with a familyhistory of cardiac problems. Moreover, so-called “pre-diabetics” areadvised to keep close watch on their glucose level as a preventativemeasure in avoiding the full blown disease.

There have been various systems proposed for health monitoring. Forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,114 to Poalsen et al. discloses a specificmethod of self treating a disease, such as diabetes, wherein data iscollected and processed to provide a number of alternative treatmentoptions based on the analysis. The method and system is dependent on thediabetic patient to input the relevant data for analysis and treatmentoptions. Specialized hardware is disclosed, namely a functional mastermodule, providing a displaying means and input means, and includes adoser with transmitting and receiving capabilities.

U.S. Patent Application No. 2004/0059599 to McIvor discloses a healthsystem and method to facilitate monitoring and management by ahealthcare provider. The patient is prompted for various health-relateddata, which is then forwarded to the healthcare provider. The system isan acute health management system, requiring a response to an “alert”from the patient and subsequently provides options for alternativetreatments.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,728,341 to Puchek et al. discloses a response and alertsystem supervised by a caregiver wherein the caregiver monitors theacute responses of the supervised person.

U.S. Patent Application No. 2004/0054263 to Moerman et al. discloses aspecific diabetic monitoring and treatment system of a patient requiringa counselling centre, a glucometer, and a communication device adaptivethereof. The counselling centre requires a healthcare professional toprovide advice, treatment options and coaching.

Although there are many alert type systems that have been developed, amajor issue is the compliance element in being able to determine orenable greater compliance by ensuring that patients are acting incompliance with their respective health regimes. Although this mayinclude measurements such as glucose levels or blood pressure, it mayalso require the taking of one or more medications, as well as elementssuch as exercise, discomfort levels or simply how the individual isfeeling.

On the basis of the foregoing, there is a need for an interactivelifestyle monitoring system that is mobile and has a self-managementaspect. There is a further need for an interactive lifestyle complianceand monitoring system that is simple, cost-effective, flexible, andrequires no specialized hardware. There is yet a further need for aninteractive lifestyle monitoring system that does not require thirdparty intervention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a remote interactive method, system andcomputer program product for self-managing a person's regular lifestyleneeds and attributes through a controlled notification and feedbacksystem that monitors and ensures compliance.

In one embodiment, the system includes an input device comprising acommunication means, a set-up means, a set-up notification means, anapproval means, and a notification and data analysis means. The systemfurthermore comprises a user and administrator back-end means whichincludes a compliance measurement means.

The system provides for feedback and measurement for healthcare providesto ensure that those under their care are complying with notificationsand respective regimes.

In that regard, the invention involves three compliance relatedelements: (i) relating to the direct management with a user; (ii)monitoring such compliance; and (iii) on the business model, creating anincentive for the user to use the invention over and above healthconcerns.

The system and method provides a simple, cost effective, and flexibleself-management that does not require a third party intervention ortreatment options on an immediate response or alert based system. Thesystem provides for a long term management, compliance and analysis forthe benefit of the individual. In implementing this method in ahealthcare environment, the individual will gain a better understandingof managing their lifestyle and behaviour and allow for healthcaremanagers to measure compliance of certain activities (if required).Further, employing already existing and available low cost technologyimproves the rate of patient data capture.

Whereas the prior art has involved the intervention of a third party inthe monitoring process (whether a healthcare provider, family member orotherwise), the present invention provides for self-management.Self-management provides a reinforcement mechanism that allows thepatient to remain proactive and positive in relation to their condition.

Users are responsible for tailoring the setup to their particular needs.Notifications (such as a reminder or an alert) are provided on aregularly basis, prompting users to take necessary quantitative orqualitative measurements, medication, or to record particular activitiesor conditions. These notifications can be tailored in a number of ways,in accordance with the present invention. For example, the users canchoose to monitor the particular attribute or attributes that arerelevant to their condition, including glucose level, temperature, bloodpressure, heart rate, weight, medication intake, pain characteristics,etc. The user is able to choose the number of notifications, andschedule them appropriately. The system confirms the input from theuser, resulting in a reduction in the possibility of error. Such inputin monitored, allowing the ability to ensure compliance or to determinethe extent of compliance of the user.

The present invention utilizes SMS (“Short Message Service”) and MMS(“Multimedia Message Service”) technology with ordinary cellular phonesor other personal communication devices. The present invention isadvantageous in this respect, since it relies on existing SMS/MMStelecommunication technology and technology owned by the user, and notspecialized hardware. However, the phone is not the only means of dataentry; information can be entered into the system via an Internetportal. The system comprises two separate interfaces in this respect:(i) a consumer interface; and (ii) a system administrator interface.

The user is prompted for information, e.g., notification attributes, andthe information is submitted back to the server. Based ondisease-specific protocols determined by the user, the data can beanalyzed immediately to identify trends, especially the detection ofworsening conditions. Based on user-configured rules, family and othercare-givers can be notified immediately of any adverse trends.

Users and their healthcare network can access more detailed informationregarding the data collected through a web interface. The raw inputdata, basic trends and charts show the patients' most recent informationas well as historical information which can all be printed out.Analytical tools can also be created and linked with the database. Inaddition, the healthcare provider and/or caregiver can also, based onthe information, ‘push’ key messages via the present invention to a useror group of users depending on the circumstances.

The present invention also contemplates the pairing of other hardware,apart from personal communication devices, with the notification andfeedback means. For example, patients can link “smart” BLUETOOTH™enabled glucometers directly with the system or similar ‘smart’ monitorsrelating to measurements such as blood pressure, heart rate or evendistance run. Furthermore, a global positioning device could be linkedwith the system or within the communication device to provide anadvantageous feature if patient location monitoring is desired oranalytics as to past or future location related behaviour. Hardware canalso be adapted within the communication device such as biometricsensors to allow for quantitative measurements of the variousattributes.

The present invention is preferably employed to provide monitoring andcompliance systems for patients suffering from Diabetes, with the inputdata being related to glucose levels and/or blood pressure information.The present invention contemplates the monitoring of a plurality ofmeasurements as opposed to just a single measurement. For example,Diabetes-related monitoring can consist of glucose levels, bloodpressure values, heart rate, temperature, etc., or compliance issuessuch as whether medication has been taken and whether a user hasexercised as may be required. It is to be expressly understood thatmonitoring of Diabetes-related conditions is only an example of animplementation, and the present invention contemplates various otherapplications, as discussed herein.

In an aspect of the present invention, the monitoring system is employedto monitor the blood pressure data of a user. In a further aspect of thepresent invention, the monitoring system can be used to track multiplemeasurements for patients who have undergone organ transplant. Thepresent invention can also be employed to monitor a patient's thyroidcondition, or to track Alzheimer's sufferers, or used to determine themobility status of Arthritis sufferers, or as a means to record andmonitor the medication intake and compliance for anyone on a specificmedication regiment. The present invention is also well-suited for bothdiet management and related analysis, and exercise management andrelated analysis.

Further, the present invention is also operable to prompt the user forspecific non-quantitative health or lifestyle related informationrelated to any of the applications discussed herein.

In further aspects of the present invention, the monitoring system canbe utilized for specific non-health related purposes, including but notlimited to the following: maintaining contact with children; maintainingconduct with adults requiring supervision, such as with prison inmates,people involved in extreme-style sports such as skiing or cross countryrunning, walkers, joggers, bike riders, etc.; meeting notification;reminder notification; travel or location updates (i.e. for peoplekeeping track of travelers, such as children); fleet attributes such asgas consumption (input of fuel used and distance traveled); any type oflocation/trend analysis, including trend analysis involving acombination of location/activity and other data (e.g., tracking activitywith glucose level or blood pressure); general remote input of anactivity on a regular basis and analyzed for access by user and approveduser(s); and/or general notification reminder system based onpre-determined parameters.

In yet a further aspect of the present invention, the present inventionis adaptable to a business model whereby revenue is generated from thecollection of service fees.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A detailed description of the preferred embodiments is provided hereinbelow by way of example only and with reference to the followingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1A is a system diagram of the present invention, in one particularembodiment thereof.

FIG. 1B is a system diagram of the present invention, in anotherembodiment thereof.

FIG. 2A is a flowchart illustrating the overall method of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2B is a flowchart illustrating aspects of the method illustrated inFIG. 2A, namely the user's set-up, and the user's notification set-up.

FIG. 2C is a flowchart illustrating aspects of the method illustrated inFIG. 2A, namely system/admin approval.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a further aspect of the methodillustrated in FIG. 2A, namely an active interface.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a further aspect of the methodillustrated in FIG. 2A, namely access to a database.

FIG. 5A is a flowchart illustrating a further aspect of the methodillustrated in FIG. 2A, namely a system administrator interface.

FIG. 5B is a flowchart illustrating a further aspect of the methodillustrated in FIG. 2A, namely administrator user compliance review.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a further aspect of one particularembodiment of the present invention, namely a user login andregistration system.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a further aspect of one particularembodiment of the present invention, namely database schema requirementsfor the user login and registration system depicted in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a further aspect of one particularembodiment of the present invention, namely a registered user webinterface.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a further aspect of one particularembodiment of the present invention, namely a blood sugar reportmanagement system.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a further aspect of one particularembodiment of the present invention, namely database schema requirementsfor the blood sugar report management system depicted in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a further aspect of one particularembodiment of the present invention, namely a mobile reporting system.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a further aspect of one particularembodiment of the present invention, namely database schema requirementsfor the mobile reporting system depicted in FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a further aspect of one particularembodiment of the present invention, namely an administration interface.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a further aspect of one particularembodiment of the present invention, namely database schema requirementsfor the administration interface depicted in FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a method ofgenerating revenue in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating another embodiment of a method ofgenerating revenue in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating a further embodiment of a method ofgenerating revenue in accordance with the present invention.

In the drawings, one embodiment of the invention is illustrated by wayof example. It is to be expressly understood that the description anddrawings are only for the purpose of illustration and as an aid tounderstanding, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Note that the term “Life:WIRE” is used herein for a method and system inaccordance with the present invention.

With reference to FIG. 1A, the system of the present invention is bestunderstood as a server (10) (referred to as the intermediary servercomputer) or group of interconnected servers and associated utilities.The server (10) in one particular embodiment of the present inventionincludes a web server (12) connected to the Internet (14), and operableto provide a series of web pages (not shown) further described below.The server (10) is also connected to a database (18).

In an embodiment of the present invention, the personal communicationdevice (22) consists of a cellular phone, as illustrated in FIG. 1A, inwhich case the telephony server (20) of the present invention is furtheroperable to support a connection between the communication device (22)and the server (10).

Alternatively, it should be understood that the telephony server (20)can support the connection between the communication device (22) and theserver (10) via the Internet (14) through a wireless gateway (16). Thisembodiment is illustrated in FIG. 1B.

A server application (24) is linked to the server (10) of the presentinvention. The server application (24) consists of one or more softwareutilities that enables the described processing steps and supports thedescribed functions, in accordance with the present invention. Thecomputer program of the present invention is therefore best understoodas the server application (24) linked to server (10). It should beunderstood that one of the aspects of the present invention is thatthere is no requirement for any specific programming on thecommunication device (22).

Suitable communication interfaces (not shown) are provided to thevarious components of server (10) in a manner that is known to enablethe various communications there between.

The overall method of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 2A.In summary, the method of the present invention consists of: (A) a userusing an input device as a communication means; (B) the user sets-up anaccount and specifies a lifestyle notification scheme; (C) the accountis approved by an administrator; (D) notifications (a notification canbe an alert or a reminder, for example, depending on the implementation)are provided to user in accordance with their setup and user providesinformation to the system; (E) users' response data is analysed. Thepresent invention further comprises both a user and administratorinterfaces.

In a particular implementation of the present invention, related set-upfunctions and routines are initiated from one or more personal computers(28) that communicate with the web server (12) via the Internet (14). Auser, using a personal computer (28), is first required to sign up to awebsite associated with the web server (12) and to perform certainset-up functions related to the operation of the present invention. Theuser sets up an account that is password protected. The user thendetermines the number of daily notification reminders, which can rangefrom one to six, for example. Although the description herein discussesthe frequency of notifications as within one to six per day, it shouldbe understood that the present invention is not limited in this regard.The optimal number of notifications for any given user will vary, andmay be greater than six per day or less than one per day.

The user also determines whether they want SMS notification to be sentto their cellular phone, for example, or alternatively the user canselect strictly “active” interaction, meaning that the system of willanticipate Internet-only input and there is no requirement for SMSnotification.

The input to the cellular phone (22) can be via simple text entry usingthe keypad, or the device can be configured to operate in avoice-activated manner. If voice-activated, the notifications would havean additional confirmation step whereby it would confirm the accuracy ofthe information entered by the user. The present invention contemplatesthe use of personal communication devices that provide technologicalmeans to measure and health or lifestyle related information of the userand subsequently communicate the information. As an example, “smartglucometers” can be employed by the user to reply to notifications bycommunicating glucose levels in accordance with the present invention.Other advanced personal communication devices can be employed having thecapabilities to take a user's temperature, measure blood pressure, heartrate, etc. Furthermore, sensors can be embedded into the personalcommunication device such as a cell phone that can quantitively measureattributes such as temperature, heart rate, etc.

The user selects the interval time period to which the trend analysis isconducted by the system. As a default, trend analysis is conducted forevery ten measurements, for example. The user also determines andselects the parameters for the trends in terms of when to issuenotifications. The user specifies who, if anyone, should be sent analert or notification when said notification parameters are met.

FIG. 2B depicts further aspects of the present invention. The user usesone or more of the input devices to provide the required information toaccomplish the application set-up. The application set-up involvesinputting information relating to the user. Included in the applicationset-up arc attribute parameters, if desired, which are elements thatwould allow Life:WIRE to better assign questions/notifications worded ina matter most likely preferable to the user. It would also Life:WIRE togroup the user with similar attributes for chats, support, etc. The userthus establishes the notification scheme based on their own interactivelifestyle monitoring needs.

The notifications are also set-up, and there is a plurality ofnotification or alert types, as depicted. The notifications can beset-up in a plurality of ways, for example, single query, multiple querywith no immediate response required, or multiple query with a responsedependent on input. The user may determine the nature of the one or moreelements measured or may be pre-determined by a third partyadministrator for the user. In addition, a user may desire notificationsfor multiple events (e.g., glucose, blood pressure, etc.). A user mayalso specify that the wish to response via alternate means than used toremind (e.g., SMS notification but a response via computer). Theparameters for analysis for triggering the notification (i.e. a reminderor an alert) can be established either by the user or by a third partyadministrator.

Further, there is a system approval aspect as shown in FIG. 2C. In theapproval process, the user submits all relevant and required informationto a system administrator or manager for approval, and they determinewhether an account is activated.

The user uses the input means the user provides information to thesystem via the active interface, an example of which is illustrated inFIG. 3. The active interface governs the relationship between the userand the system, including the responses provided by the user in responseto a notification, and analysis that the system conducts.

All information is accessible to the user and authorized third partiesby accessing the database (18). As illustrated in FIG. 4, access to thedatabase (18) is preferably protected in some way, e.g., by a HASHalgorithm. This along with one or more other security techniques ensuresthat the information remains secure.

Once the required parameters are specified, the user submits the infofor approval through the Internet (14). The administrator receives therequest for approval. If the request is not approved, the administratordeletes the request and user cannot go any further. If approved, theuser is sent an e-mail for confirmation. When an e-mail sent, the useris also sent phone confirmation via SMS. Once the user replies, thesystem notifications are set.

In a particular implementation of the present invention, once thenotification scheme is established, the system provides notifications tothe user. The user responds to a notification, and the system assumesthat any response prior to the next notification pertains to thepreceding notification. The system performs trend analysis based onparameters selected by the user. The system determines whether responseis within or outside such parameters. If it is within parameters, thesystem sends an SMS confirmation of the specific response. If outsidethe parameters, the system sends a confirmation of the specific responseand provides additional notification that the user is outside itsparameters. The system also sends an e-mail notification to addresses asindicated and approved by the user in the application setup. These thirdparties (e.g., a family member or a caregiver) may access the user'sdatabase of information provided they have been given permission and thelogin and password information from the user.

In the event that the user does not respond for a specified period (withan example default setting being two days), the system will send ane-mail to the user notifying them of non-response and allowing them toreview the account database to make required updates and/or to contactadministrators/support.

In a further aspect of a particular implementation of the presentinvention, the user may access their database (18) via the website usingtheir login/password and have the following options: (i) non-wirelessinput, namely the user has the option at any time to input informationdirectly into database via a computer with Internet access; (ii) chartedinformation, namely viewing of their raw data in date order (as chosenby user) or for specific date period (as chosen by user), or user mayview their data on an animated bar chart in date order (as chosen byuser) or for specific period (as chosen by user); (iii) the user canupdate or revise information, including the information at initialset-up, e.g., SMS number, password or e-mail address; (iv) the user mayactivate or deactivate any notifications at any time; and (v) the usermay print-out the database information from the web interface.

The administration interface of the present invention provides access toadministrators to certain functions linked to the server (10). In aparticular implementation of the present invention, thesefunctions/resources are accessed via a series of web pages linked to theweb server (12). The administration interface comprises a main page thatprompts the user for login and password information. As an example, aflowchart illustrating a system administrator interface is provided inFIG. 5A. It should be understood that alternate means for authenticationare also contemplated by the present invention. These web pages, forexample, enable administrators to approve all requests for activation,review and access of all accounts (and respective databases), reviewusage of system via logs, etc., and provide an analysis of usage ofsystem, accounts, etc. The administrator user compliance review is shownin FIG. 5B.

It should be understood that other functions/resources can be associatedwith the server (10) and made accessible via selection from possibleoptions via user commands described in the present invention.

The present invention also provides for a plurality of notificationtypes. In a particular implementation of the present invention, thenotifications are provided by the server to the cellular phone in theform of enhanced test messaging. For example, the text notification canbe a simple question, or multiple questions. In a further aspect,notifications can be multiple questions wherein each subsequent questionis dependent on the previous response. The present invention alsocontemplates multiple notification options, including audio alerts,including musical alerts, voice alerts, and/or simple tones or ringing.

These audio notifications can be sent via MMS, and can be in mp3 orother suitable formats. A visual alert can be provided where such visualnotifications are supported by the personal communication device (22).As mentioned herein, the notification can also be a direct alert linkingto a third party, for example a family member or caregiver, as selectedby the user. It should be understood that any notification or alert typementioned herein can be implemented alone or in combination with otheralert types, in accordance with the users' selection(s).

As mentioned, in yet a further aspect of the present invention musicalnotifications or alerts can be provided to the user through theirpersonal communication device. In this regard, it is possible tocorrelate the particular musical piece to the various specific levels ofnotification or alert for the user. As an example, a notificationcomprising the song “Sugar, Sugar” can correspond to mild levels,whereas an notification comprising the song “No Sugar Tonight” cancorrespond to more serious levels. The parameter of these types ofnotifications can be set by the user and changed from time to time, inaccordance with the present invention.

In a further aspect of the present invention, the content ofnotifications can comprise specific information based on databaseanalysis. For example, the notification content can be tailored (by theuser) in relation to the database analysis relevant to, e.g., dietaryrequirements, exercise requirements, medical condition, individualreading or measurement, and/or support requirements.

In another aspect of the present invention, the data collected by thedatabase (18) can be linked and provided to third party systems forfurther processing. For example, the data can be utilized for thepurpose of patient record management or processing of insurance claims,subject to privacy issues.

In one specific example of the implementation of this aspect of thepresent invention, the Life:WIRE system can be utilized by a painmanagement health provider. According to this implementation, data thatis collected (by the Life:WIRE system) concerning pain levels andmedication use is provided to a patient record management system toimprove the data available to the patient record management system.

The specific architecture to support this example implementation can bearranged as follows. A user can be fitted with a personal monitoringdevice that is operable to provide pain level and medication data (e.g.,using BLUETOOTH™) to a personal communication device (e.g., aBLACKBERRY™). The personal communication device then provides this datato the Life:WIRE system, which acts as a communication broker with thepain management health provider. The pain management health providerprovides for data normalization, data aggregation and secure storage,and is operable to interface with other services providers (e.g.,emergency personnel, dentists, laboratory, pharmacy, etc.). Healthrecords maintained by the pain management health provider can bedirected to the particular user through their personal communicationdevice, whether via the Life:WIRE system or directly.

In yet further aspects of the present invention, notifications cancomprise yet further information and content for the user. For example,a notification can take the form of a video of a caregiver, or even ofthe user themselves, giving a quick lecture about the current status,corresponding to the notification level. The notification can alsoprovide links to sites, phone numbers, and suppliers relevant to thelevel. Alternatively, the notification can directly provide a tie-in,via text, cell, e-mail, web, camera, etc., to the particular caregiveror support individuals, as customized by the user. The present inventioncontemplates each one of these possible notifications/alerts, and anycombination thereof, with the type of notification and any correspondingtrend analysis customizable by the user.

The information requested by each notification is dependent on theindividual needs of the user. For example, for users interested inmonitoring Diabetes-related attributes, the notifications will promptthe user for specific values, including, e.g., glucose levels, bloodpressure data, heart rate, weight, temperature, etc. The presentinvention is capable of interactively monitoring a plurality ofmeasurements.

Tailoring the content of notifications may further improve the user'ssuccess at achieving adherence/compliance to a particular health regime.In this regard, the notifications can be changed on a regular basis, andcan incorporate effects or entertainment elements to make them moreinteresting and engaging, for example through the use of comedy.

Further, the present invention is not limited to quantitativeinformation but is also operable to prompt the user for specificnon-quantitative health or lifestyle related information related to anyof the applications discussed herein. For example, the notification canconsist of a simple question, such as “How do you feel?”, “Do you feelalert?”, and “Do you feel tired?”, etc. This in turn can result inadditional questions to where these qualitative questions can furtheryield helpful information from the user and can be correlated to otherdata via the data analysis aspect of the present invention. Suchnon-quantitative health or lifestyle related areas include dietaryissues, mental health such as anxiety and exercise, to name a few.

EXAMPLE

The operation of the present invention is best understood by referenceto the example below. In this particular implementation of the presentinvention, the Life:WIRE system is used to record glucose measurementsfor Diabetics. The system server notifies the patient to take his or herglucose readings from their glucometer. The patient then inputs theinformation and the database responds with both a confirmation of thelevel and notification if the levels on average are rising or falling.In the event that the level remain high or low for a determined periodof time, the patient-designated individuals (caregiver, parent,physician or other) is emailed a notification to that effect.

It is to be expressly understood that monitoring of Diabetes-relatedconditions is only an example of the present invention in operation. Thepresent invention comprises a plurality of applications, as detailed inthe foregoing.

More particular aspects of the example are described below and arefurther illustrated by reference to the Figures. Specifically: (A) FIG.6 is a flowchart illustrating a further aspect of one particularembodiment of the present invention, namely a user login andregistration system; (B) FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a furtheraspect of one particular embodiment of the present invention, namelydatabase schema requirements for the user login and registration systemdepicted in FIG. 6; (C) FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a furtheraspect of one particular embodiment of the present invention, namely aregistered user web interface; (D) FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating afurther aspect of one particular embodiment of the present invention,namely a blood sugar report management system; (E) FIG. 10 is aflowchart illustrating a further aspect of one particular embodiment ofthe present invention, namely database schema requirements for the bloodsugar report management system depicted in FIG. 9; (F) FIG. 11 is aflowchart illustrating a further aspect of one particular embodiment ofthe present invention, namely a mobile reporting system; (G) FIG. 12 isa flowchart illustrating a further aspect of one particular embodimentof the present invention, namely database schema requirements for themobile reporting system depicted in FIG. 11; (H) FIG. 13 is a flowchartillustrating a further aspect of one particular embodiment of thepresent invention, namely an administration interface; and (I) FIG. 14is a flowchart illustrating a further aspect of one particularembodiment of the present invention, namely database schema requirementsfor the administration interface depicted in FIG. 13.

1. User Login and Registration System

In an embodiment of the present invention, every new and registered useraccessing the Life:WIRE system will require a username (which can be ane-mail address) and password. This system is illustrated in FIG. 6; thedatabase schema requirements for this are illustrated in FIG. 7.

(a) Login Screen

In one particular implementation of the present invention, the loginscreen will be the default page seen by any user attempting to accessthe site that is not logged in. The page will allow the user to entertheir username (e-mail address) and password and then click a loginbutton to confirm that their credentials are valid. Should the userinformation provided prove valid, the user will proceed to the “HistoryOverview” page which is covered under the “Registered User WebInterface”. Should the credentials the user supplied be invalid, theuser will be sent to the “Login Error” page that is detailed below.

This login screen will also include a link labelled “Forgot Password?”.This link will lead to a webpage that will allow a user to receive a newpassword via e-mail.

There will also be a link labelled “Create New Account”. When a new userarrives at the site they would use this like to begin the accountcreation process.

Users will be assigned to specific roles within the system. These rolesinclude administrators, alpha testers, beta testers and general users.The user roles are set in the tbl_userGroup table and can be adjusted asneeded. The roles control what functionality the users have access towithin the system.

(b) Login Error

Should the user's credentials be invalid, they will be directed to thispage. They will be notified that there has been a problem with theinformation they supplied and provided options to proceed.

The user will be able to use a link to return to the “Login Screen”.There will also be a link to the “Forgot Password?” system.

Finally, there will be the option to “Create a new account” that willlink the user to the “User Registration Form”.

(c) User Registration Form

In this embodiment of the present invention, the user registration formis the first step in creating a new account. The user must providehis/her first and last name, a valid e-mail address that will also actas their username, the cell number they wish use, and a password. Thepassword field will be masked so users will be required to enter ittwice to ensure that they do not make a mistake. Once the user hascompleted the registration form they will click the “Next” button tocontinue to the “Reminder Schedule” page. During the submission process,the data that the user entered will be verified and, should a field havebeen left blank or was filled-in incorrectly, the browser will return tothe “User Registration Form” with the errors highlighted at the top ofthe page.

(d) Reporting Schedule

Once a user has completed the “User Registration Form”, they will beasked to fill in the “Reporting Schedule”. The user will be presentedwith the option to input as many notifications, which in this case arereminders, as they choose and at which time they would like to have thereminder sent. They will also have the option to determine the nature ofthe reminders such as requiring the input of glucose levels orconfirmation of having taken medication. The user will be able to changethese times, and nature of reminders and they will also have the abilityto turn any or all of the reminders off. They will also have the optionof setting a reporting time but not having that time send out an SMSreminder.

Under the reminder time area will be three blank text boxes where theuser can enter in e-mail addresses. These three e-mail addresses will becopied on any notifications that are sent the user's cell phone. Thee-mail fields can be left blank.

In addition, the user will set their personal settings which allows theuser to create the parameters under which the invention analyses therespective data trends. For example, in the measurement of glucoselevels, it will allow for the user to determine the upper and lowerlimits and the number of measurements to use for such analysis. If thedata trends go above or below such parameters, the invention will send anotification of that event to the pre-determined above

When the user has completed the form, they will click on the next buttonto continue. The page will check the times to make sure that they do notoverlap.

Once the process has been completed, the page will display a thank youmessage and a note stating that a confirmation e-mail has been sent. Theconfirmation e-mail will contain a link that will have to be clicked onto verify the validity of the account. More information on the e-mailcan be found below.

The scheduled reminders will be stored in the tbl_userRemindersScheduletable, as illustrated in FIG. 7. This table is designed to be scalableso that the number of reminders is scalable as the system is furtherdeveloped. For this example, users will be limited to and prompted touse up to six reminders, however this is a soft requirement based on theforms and not the data structure.

(e) E-mail: Confirmation Link

Once the user has completed the various web forms that are required tocreate an account they will receive an e-mail. This e-mail contains alink that returns the user to the website and confirms that the e-mailaccount that is associated with the new account is in fact accessible tothe user. The link will send the user to the “Confirmation Received/CellPhone Activation Instructions”.

(f) Confirmation Received/Cell Phone Activation Instructions

When a user clicks on the link supplied to them in the “E-mail:Confirmation Link”, they will be sent to this page. The page willconfirm that the user's web account will be activated once anadministrator approves the account. The page will also inform the userthat a SMS message has been sent to their cell phone. “SMS: Cell PhoneConfirmation” section has more information on the details of themessage. This page will also contain a link back to the “Login Screen”and the text for that link should read “Back to User Login”.

(g) Forgot Password

Should a user have forgotten their password, they will be able to usethe “Forgot Password” page to retrieve it. The user will be asked toenter the e-mail address they used to create their account and then hita “Send Password” button. The page will then create a random passwordfor the user's account and send that password to the user in an e-mail.More information on the e-mail can be found under the heading “E-mail:Random Password”. Should the e-mail address entered not be registeredwith the Life:WIRE system, the page will inform the user that the e-mailis not recognized.

(h) E-mail: Random Password

Should the user forget their password, they can request that the sitecreate a new one and e-mail it to them. They will then receive an emailthat contains a new randomly generated password.

2. Registered User Web Interface

According to a particular implementation of the present invention, whena user wishes to review their blood sugar report history or make changesto their user account information, they will be able to do so via the“Registered User Web Interface”. This interface is illustrated in FIG.8. A user will need to have an account registered with the system and belogged in.

(a) Navigation System

A universal navigation system will be present on every page that is partof the web-based interface that a user interacts with while logged in.The navigation system will include links to the following locations:“History Overview”; “Blood Sugar Report Form”; “Blood Sugar ReportManagement”; “Change Reporting Schedule”; “Change User Information”;“Cell Phone Activation” (only appears if cell not active); and “Logout”.

(b) History Overview

When the user logs into the web site, they have the option to come tothis page. The page is meant to summarize the most recent data based onthe user's reporting. The user will be presented with a bar chart oftheir average blood sugar level on a weekly basis.

They will also see a graph of their reporting history displayed witheach row containing a full day of reports.

The user will be able to adjust both the total time frame of the bloodsugar chart displays (1 month, 2 months, 3 months, etc.) as well as thetime each bar represents (daily, weekly etc.). Should a user's accountnot contain enough data to fill the requested time frame, the bars thatdo not have data will be set to zero.

The graph of reported data will adjust to the number of reporting timesthe user has set-up. For example, if the user has opted to only reporttheir blood sugar 3 times per day, each day will only show 3 reports.The chart will display reports from newest to oldest. The user will alsohave the option to view a print-friendly version of this page that theycan take with them to their 3-month check up.

(c) Print-Friendly View (History Overview)

Should a user wish to print a version of the “History Overview”, theywill click on the “Print-Friendly” link on that page. They will bepresented with a page containing only the historical data (both chartand graph) that is formatted to fit within the margins of a standard8″×11″ sheet. There will be a link on this page that will return theuser to the “History Overview”.

(d) Change Reporting Schedule Form

Through the use of the Life:WIRE system a user may decide that theiroriginal reporting schedule is not working. They will be able to use the“Change Reporting Schedule Form” to make changes to these settings. Thepage will work very much like the “Reporting Schedule”, barring a fewexceptions. The first is that rather than a blank form appearing, thepage will automatically fill in all fields with the current user'sinformation. The second variation is that once the user has submittedthe form they will be sent to the “Reporting Change Summary”. The formwill be verified against the same criteria as the “Reporting Schedule”.

(e) Reporting Change Summary

Once the user has submitted the changes they would like to see to theirreporting schedule they will be sent to this page. The page will containa summary of their new information and verification that the changeshave been made. A link at the end of the summary will lead the user backthe “History Overview” page.

(f) User Info Change Form

If the user needs to make a change to their account information theywill be able to do so via this form. This form is very much like the“User Registration Form” with a few exceptions, namely the form will befilled-in with the current user's account information when it load, andthe user will not be able to change their e-mail address. Once the userhas completed the form and the data has been verified as properlyentered the user will be sent to the “User Info Update Summary”.

(g) User Info Update Summary

Once a user has updated their user information they will be sent to thispage. The page will display their updated user information and confirmthat the database has been changed. Should the user have changed thecell number that is associated with their account, the summary page willsend out a “SMS: Cell Phone Confirmation” message, as the new numberwill need to be confirmed before it is used. The page will also have alink back to the “History Overview” page.

(h) User Info Update Summary

Once a user has updated their user information they will be sent to thispage. The page will display their updated user information and confirmthat the database has been changed. Should the user have changed thecell number that is associated with their account the summary page willsend out a “SMS: Cell Phone Confirmation” message, as the new numberwill need to be confirmed before it is used. The page will also have alink back to the “History Overview” page.

(i) Blood Sugar Report Summary

Once an online blood sugar report is successfully entered into thesystem, the user will be sent to this page where they will see aconfirmation of their submission and be presented with a link back tothe “Historical Overview”. Should the user's average blood sugar beoutside of the recommended range over the past 10 reports, the systemwill show a warning message on this page and send out an “Email:Notification” to requested recipients. This will occur unless the reportentered is more than one day old.

(j) Cell Phone Activation Instructions

Should the user have ignored or deleted the original “SMS: Cell PhoneConfirmation” that was sent to them during the account creation process,they will be able to use this system to confirm their cell phone numberat anytime. This page will give the user instructions on theconfirmation process followed by a link to the “Confirmation that theSMS was sent” page.

(k) Confirmation that the SMS Was Sent

The user will be notified that an SMS message has been sent to theircell number and that they should reply to it in order to confirm theircell number. The user will then follow a link at the bottom of the pageback to the “History Overview” page. The rest of the process is coveredunder the “Mobile Reporting” section of this document.

3. Blood Sugar Report Management System

In a further aspect of the particular implementation of the presentinvention, a user may want or be required to change or delete bloodsugar reports. This may be due to errors made during the reportingprocess. The “Blood Sugar Report Management System” is an interface thatwill allow user to manage their blood sugar reports. This system isillustrated in FIG. 9; the database schema requirements are illustratedin FIG. 10.

(a) Report List

This page will show a list of reports. The reports will be in the formof a table and the user will have several options to alter the view.Each record will have links associated with them that will allow theuser to either edit or delete the record.

Due to the potential number of records that could be displayed, the pagewill only show 20 records at a time. The user will be allowed to scrollthrough the reports 20 records at a time.

The user will also be able to refine the number of records shown byrestricting the time frame. The user will be able to set a start dateand end date and any records that where entered during the specifiedperiod will be displayed.

The reports will be displayed in a chart. “Edit” and “Delete” found inthe command column will be links to the “Edit Form” and “DeletionConfirmation” pages, respectively. They will allow the user to performeither operation on the specific report with which they are associated.The page will also have a link to the “Print-Friendly View (ReportList)” page.

(b) Print-Friendly View (Report List)

Should a user wish to print out a version of the “Report List”, theywill click on the “Print-Friendly” link on that page. They will bepresented with a page only containing all the reports in the selectedtime frame formatted to fit within the margins of a standard 8″×11″sheet. There will be a link on this page that will return the user tothe “Report List” page.

(c) Edit Form

The user can select to edit a blood sugar report from the “Report List”,which will lead them to this page. The user will be able to change thedate, time, and blood sugar level associated with the record. Once theuser has made the necessary adjustments they can submit their changes,at which point any error will be reported. If the record is acceptablethe user will be sent to the “Edit Summary” page. Any alteration willnot trigger a warning to be sent out.

(d) Edit Summary

Once a blood sugar record has been updated the user will be shown asummary of the changes they have made on this page. The user will thenbe presented with a link back to the “Report List” page.

(e) Deletion Confirmation

Should a user select to delete a record from the “Record List”, theywill be sent to this page. They will be asked to confirm the deletionrequest. If they click on ‘Yes’ the user will be sent to the “DeletionConfirmed” page. If they select ‘No’ the user will return to the “ReportList” page.

(f) Deletion Confirmed

The user will be sent to this page once they have confirmed that theywould like to delete a specific record. The page will confirm that therecord has in fact been removed from the database. The user will then beable to take a link back to the “Report List”.

4. Mobile Reporting

According to an embodiment of the present invention, most of theday-to-day interaction with the Life:WIRE system will be conducted viathe cell phone rather than on the web.

One aspect of this mobile reporting is the reporting window. Should auser register six reporting times in one day, they have created sixwindows during which time they must submit their reports. For example, auser has set their first reporting time to start at 9 am and the next tostart at 12 pm. Any message sent in between these two times will beconsidered a valid first window report and will show up on their reportchart under the heading 1. Should the system receive two reports duringone of these windows, only the first report will be considered valid.

An issue facing the mobile portion of the Life:WIRE system is what to dowhen a user leaves a cell area or turns off their cell for long periodsof time. The SMS system will be required to identify that a user is notreceiving messages and stop sending in order to avoid messages piling upand reduce any sending cost that may be incurred. The server will needto be able to recognize when the user has reconnected and resume sendingmessages at that point.

The mobile reporting system is illustrated in FIG. 11; the databaseschema requirements are illustrated in FIG. 12.

(a) SMS: Cell Phone Confirmation

At various times a user will need to confirm that they have access tothe cell phone number they have provided. The confirmation process willstart with this message being received by the user's cell phone. Themessage will instruct the user to simply reply to the message with theletter “Y” to confirm that they wish their cell phone to receivemessages from the Life:WIRE system.

(b) SMS: Phone Verification Received

Once a user replies to the “SMS: Cell Phone Confirmation” and the serverhas successfully received their confirmation message, the user will besent a follow-up message informing the user that their phone will nowreceive reminders.

(c) SMS: Reminder Received by User

The server will send out a reminder to the user's cell phone atspecified times requested by the user. This message will inform the userthat they should check their glucose levels and reply to the messagewith the result. The user should then reply to the message to reporttheir blood sugar level. Any report the user sends back prior to thenext reporting window commencing will be considered a successfulresponse to this message.

(d) SMS: New SMS Report Sent to Life: WIRE Number

In some instances a user may request not to be sent a reminder yet stillwish to report their blood sugar. They would be able to do so by sendinga message to the Life:WIRE number and reporting their glucose level.

(e) Enter Glucose Level

The user will be required to enter in their blood sugar level asreported by their glucometer into a text message and send it to theLife:WIRE SMS number. This process will require the user to be able toenter in numbers and decimal places via their cell phone.

When a user enters their blood sugar, the system will assume that theyare entering in a number with at least one decimal place. Should theuser enter a decimal point into their blood sugar level they submit, thesystem will accept the message as it is sent. Should the user not put ina decimal point, the system will assume that the last digit is after thedecimal place. For example, 112 would be converted to 11.2.

(f) SMS: Confirm Receipt of Report

The server will send the user a confirmation that their blood sugarreport was received and display how their report was interpreted by thesystem. This message will only be sent out if the user's blood sugarlevel does not trigger a warning.

(g) SMS: Send Warning to User

If a user's average blood sugar is outside of recommended bounds overthe last 10 reports, the user will be sent a warning message thatdisplays their current average blood sugar level and inform them that itis to high or low and that the user should take action in order tocorrect the variance. In addition, should a user's blood sugar have beenwell maintained during this period, a message will be sent stating thatthey have stayed within their desired range on average over the last tenreports.

(h) E-mail: Send Warning to Alternative Contacts

Should a user's report indicate that their average blood sugar levelover the last 10 reports is out of the recommended range, all thealternative e-mail addresses registered to their account will receiveand e-mail copy of the warning.

5. Administration Interface

According to an embodiment of the present invention, Life: WIREadministrators will require an interface that will allow them to performadministrative tasks on the system and view usage statistics. Thisportion of the system will not be accessible to the public and willrequire an administrator (admin) to login with a special username andpassword.

The administration interface is illustrated in FIG. 13; the databaseschema requirements are illustrated in FIG. 14.

(a) Admin Login

An administrator (or “admin”) wishing to access the administrationinterface will go to a special web address that will bring them to theadministrator login screen; at which point they will be required toenter in a username and password. Should the administrator enter in avalid username and password they will proceed to the “Pending New UserApprovals” page. Should the login criteria the user supplied proveinvalid, they will return to the login screen which will display anerror message.

(b) Admin Navigation System

An admin navigation system will be present on every page that is part ofthe admin interface and that is accessible while logged in. Thenavigation system will include links to the following locations:“Pending New User Approvals”; “User Management”; “Usage Report”; “EventLog”; and “Logout”.

(c) Pending New User Approvals

Once an administrator has successfully logged in, they will be presentedwith a list of new user accounts that are awaiting approval. The listwill only show accounts that have never been approved before.

User information is listed in a chart. The first field will show theuser's name, the second will show their email address. A field marked“E-mail Conf” will show weather the user has confirmed their e-mailaddress with the system. Similarly, the “Cell Conf” field shows whetherthe user has successfully registered their cell with the system. Thelast column contains a link called “Approve” should an admin click onthe approve button the users account will be activated and the adminwill be sent to the “User Approval Confirmation” page. The admin willalso have the option to delete the new account which will send the adminto the “Verify User Deletion” page.

(d) User Approval Confirmation

Once an admin has approved a new user, the admin will arrive at thispage where they will see a notice that the user has been successfullyapproved and that the “E-mail: Account Approved” has been sent to theuser notifying them of the activation of their account. The page willinclude a link back to the “Pending New User Approvals” page.

(e) E-mail: Account Approved

Once an admin has approved a user's account, the system sends the user acopy of this e-mail. They will be notified that they may now log intothe system.

(f) User Management

Throughout the course of the normal operation of the Life:WIRE system,admins may be required to aid users with system problems or perhapsdelete accounts that are no longer in use. The “User Management” pagewill allow the admin to view all the current approved accounts in thesystem. The chart therein is very similar to the one described under the“Pending New User Approvals” section, however, it has one keydifference. Under the command column, there is a link labelled “Login”.Should the admin wish to investigate issues with a particular user'saccount, they can click this link to login as that user. This functionis important as it allows an admin to help a user without the userhaving to reveal their password to the admin.

As the list of users may grow quite long, each page will only show 20records at a time and the admin will be able to page through them 20records at a time. They will also have the option of entering in part ora user's entire name to search for a specific account. Any accounts thatmatch the criteria will be displayed so that partial names can beentered.

(g) Verify User Deletion

Should an admin decide that it is necessary to delete an account fromthe Life:WIRE system, they will arrive at this page where they will beasked to confirm the decision. They will be presented with two links,the first will be labelled “Yes” which will send them to the “DeletionConfirmation” page. The link will return them back to the “UserManagement” page or the “Pending New User Approvals” page depending onwhere they initially clicked the delete link.

(h) Deletion Confirmation

Once an admin has confirmed that they do, in fact, wish to delete anaccount, they will see this page that will confirm that the user accounthas been deleted and provided them with a link back the either the “UserManagement” page or the “Pending New User Approvals” page depending onthe status of the record that was deleted. A deleted account will notactually be purged from the database but rather flagged as deleted andignored by the system. This is important for potential data recovery.

(i) Usage Report

As the main goal of this system is to prove its own validity, the usagestatistics will be a very important part of the admin interface. Theusage report will display the following statistics: “Total Number ofApproved Accounts”; “Total Number of Approved Accounts with ActivatedCell Phones”; “Total Number of SMS Messages Sent”; “Total Number of SMSMessages Received”; “Average Number of Reminders Responded To”; “AverageNumber of Reminders Ignored”; “Average Number of Report Windows Filled”;“Average Number of Report Windows Empty”; “Average Blood Sugar Level 3Months Ago”; “Average Blood Sugar Level 2 Months Ago”; “Average BloodSugar Level 1 Month Ago”; “Total Number of Users that Report 80-100% AsExpected”; “Total Number of Users that Report 60-80% As Expected”;“Total Number of Users that Report 40-60% As Expected”; “Total Number ofUsers that Report 0-40% As Expected”; “Average Blood Sugar Level ofUsers with 80-100% Reporting”; “Average Blood Sugar Level of Users with60-80% Reporting”; “Average Blood Sugar Level of Users with 40-60%Reporting”; and “Average Blood Sugar Level of Users with 0-40%Reporting”.

An admin will also be able to produce a print-friendly version of theusage reports by clicking on the “Print-Friendly” Link.

(j) Print-Friendly Version (Usage Report)

Should a user wish to print a version of the “Usage Report” they willclick on the “Print-Friendly” link on that page. They will be presentedwith a page containing only the usage statistics that are formatted tofit within the margins of a standard 8″×11″ sheet. There will be a linkon this page that will return the user to the Usage Report.

(k) Event Log

The event log is a simple chart of all the events that have occurredthrough the invention. The chart will have to fields: “Event Type” and“Message”. There are four types of events that can occur: “User”,“Admin”, “System”, and “Error”. An admin will be able to view these logs50 events at a time and will have the option to scroll through them.They will also be able to select a time frame to reduce the total numberof records shown. The exact messages that will accompany each event willbe determined during the production of the system. It is through the“Event Log” that administrators can monitor compliance of any element ofthe invention. The “Event Log” displays all activities such as time thatan reminder was triggered, to which user it relates (which has a uniqueidentifier), when a reminder was sent (which has a unique identifierrelating to each unique user), when a response was received and whatresponse was provided by the user.

BUSINESS MODEL

In yet another aspect of the present invention, a business model isproposed wherein revenue is generated from services fees. In thisregard, Life:WIRE is a hosted service where hospital groups, privateclinics and corporations can purchase subscriptions for their patientsand employees in order to enhance their health care service or improvethe effectiveness of their health plans. A white label hosted solutionwill give public health care services, insurance companies, HMO's,public sector insurers, pharmaceutical companies and medical measurementdevices firms a branded application to complement their other healthmanagement initiatives and raise awareness and reduce customer switchingfor their products. A branded installed solution for telcos can increaseSMS revenues, add a subscription service to their offering and convertcell phone to an affinity medical device, thereby reducing customerchum. Additionally, companies currently offering PC-based diseasemanagement solutions can add a branded mobile interface to theirapplication utilizing the present invention. These companies can begingenerating recurring revenue for the service rather than one-timesoftware licensing fees. For example and without limiting the foregoing,the service providers can opt to charge users on a fee per use basis(e.g., $0.10 per message), or, alternatively, on a monthly fee per userbasis (e.g., $7.95 per month) which provides for a set number ofmessages (e.g., 100) and then a set charge for any message exceedingthat amount.

An embodiment for the revenue generation method of the present inventionis provided in FIG. 15. In this embodiment, the healthcare serviceproviders, including pharmaceutical companies, HMO's, governmental andprivate health plans, or others directly provide the Life:WIRE serviceto their client base, charging a monthly fee. This is advantageousbecause the service is provided to an already existing customer base.Alternatively, the fees and the service can be controlled through thetelco, as illustrated in FIG. 16. In a further alternative embodiment,the revenue generation method comprises the telco and the healthcarepartners working together to provide the service and collect fees (asshown in FIG. 17).

It should be understood that this revenue generation means contemplatesthe creation of relationships with sponsors of the service, such as, forexample, an insurance company or other commercial sponsor. Therelationship created with the sponsors may include certain “incentives”provided to the end users, including, for example, on a per notificationbasis. For example, for each notification a retail sponsor might providea cash incentive or an incentive by allocating a certain number ofloyalty points to the end user. Retail operations, for example, nowmarket branded wireless services. The present invention, in oneparticular aspect thereof, provides a way in which to add value to thewireless services provided, and to cross-sell other products orservices. For example, a response to a notification carried on a retailcompany's wireless service would result in allocation of a predeterminednumber of loyalty points redeemable for groceries sold by the retailcompany.

In particular, such incentives or rewards could come from the healthcareproviders/client with whom the user is involved and entails passing on aportion of the savings realized on long term proper management. Forexample, as the estimated actuarial healthcare cost for an individual isreduced through the use of Life:WIRE, an insurer may offer a reducedinsurance rate (e.g., if the insurer has a reduction of 40%, as per ADAstudies, they may pass on 15% of such savings for those clients usingLife:WIRE). Another example may be with the volume of use of Life:WIRE atelco may offer volume reductions in service charges or provide freeminutes.

In general, the types of such incentives can be categorized as follows:

-   -   free estimates, samples or analyses;    -   products or services for no extra cost;    -   product or service discounts;    -   product or service time extensions;    -   phone free extra minutes or services;    -   extended or life memberships;    -   exclusive or charter memberships;    -   group discounts;    -   extended warranties;    -   draws for prizes;    -   free music, video or movie downloads; and/or    -   reduced costs or free service on peripheral items or services.

What all this does for the revenue generation side is to increase useand compliance by users through these incentives and rewards, which inturn keeps their satisfaction and use high, meaning they remainsubscribed on the service. With such use and compliance, the client(e.g., an HMO) realizes the benefit of reduction in costs of healthcaremanagement thus encouraging them to direct more of their patients to useLife:WIRE.

1-21. (canceled)
 22. A computerized method performed by at least oneprocessor, the method comprising: receiving, from a user via a deviceassociated with a user account, a proposed monitoring scheme for theuser, the proposed monitoring scheme comprising settings fornotifications and monitoring parameters, the settings including: one ormore messages chosen or manually created during a user-authenticatedsession, the one or more messages including personalized queries forattributes, and one or more schedules for providing the personalizedqueries to the user; sending a query to the user via the deviceassociated with the user account, based on the personalized querieschosen or manually created during the user authenticated session; oneof: receiving response data from the device associated with the useraccount, or generating response data indicating a lack of a responsefrom the device associated with the user; analyzing the response databased on a comparison with a user data model, wherein the user datamodel includes a statistical analysis of previous responses from thedevice associated with the user account; determining, based on thecomparison, whether the response data is outside a threshold range;transmitting an alert to an administrator via a device associated withan administrator account based on the determination; and providing anadministration interface configured to authenticate the administratorand enable review of the response data, the user data model, and theresponse data analysis.
 23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:receiving, from the user via the device, a request to modify thesettings for notifications and monitoring parameters, the settingscomprising: one or more attributes to monitor, the attributes beingrelevant to a condition of the user; a number of notifications; or anotification schedule.
 24. The method of claim 22, wherein: the deviceassociated with the user account includes, or is electronically linkedto, a sensor; and the response data comprises data from the sensor. 25.The method of claim 22, wherein the device associated with the useraccount is operable to: generate and transmit the response data as atext message or a voice-activated response; and present thenotifications as at least one of a text message, a voice alert, amusical alert, a ring tone, a specific sound produced by the device, aninstant message, an email, a link to one or more websites, or acommunication link to a third party.
 26. The method of claim 22, whereinsending the query comprises transmitting a text message to the user viathe device associated with the user account.
 27. The method of claim 22,the method further comprising: receiving threshold settings from atleast one of the user and the administrator, the threshold settingscomprising an upper limit and a lower limit for the threshold range. 28.The method of claim 22, wherein the alert is transmitted to the user viathe device associated with the user account.
 29. The method of claim 22,wherein the alert provides an indication of at least one of: a lack of aresponse from the device associated with the user; and results ofanalysis of the response data to identify trends relating to theresponse data.
 30. The method of claim 22, wherein the proposedmonitoring scheme for the user is received using a user interfacepresented on the device associated with the user account, the userinterface comprising at least one of: a notification scheme setup pageconfigured to enable creating notification content, selectingnotification content, selecting at least one personalized query forattributes, and selecting intervals for providing the personalizedqueries; or a database access page configured to enable inputtingresponse data, data reviews, notification scheme modifications, and dataprinting commands; and wherein the administration interface includes anadministrator approval request page for approving the proposedmonitoring scheme for the user.
 31. The method of claim 22, whereinanalyzing the response data further comprises at least one of:identifying trends in the response data; comparing the response data toone or more response parameters; identifying trends in the response dataand comparing the trends to the one or more response parameters; andgenerating an alert specific to the analysis of the response data andtransmitting the alert to the device associated with the user inaccordance with the one or more schedules.
 32. The method of claim 22,wherein the statistical analysis comprises an average of data pointsfrom previous responses.
 33. The method of claim 22, wherein theadministration interface is configured to enable review of a usagereport, the usage report comprising one or more of: a total number ofqueries sent to the user; a total number of responses received from theuser; a total number of queries sent to the user lacking a response; anda total number of alerts transmitted to the administrator.
 34. A systemcomprising: at least one processor; and a computer-readable storagemedium storing instructions configured to cause the at least oneprocessor to perform operations comprising: receiving, from a user via adevice associated with a user account, a proposed monitoring scheme forthe user, the proposed monitoring scheme comprising settings fornotifications and monitoring parameters, the settings including: one ormore messages chosen or manually created during a user-authenticatedsession, the one or more messages including personalized queries forattributes, and one or more schedules for providing the personalizedqueries to the user; sending a query to the user via the deviceassociated with the user account, based on the personalized querieschosen or manually created during the user authenticated session; oneof: receiving response data from the device associated with the useraccount, or generating response data indicating a lack of a responsefrom the device associated with the user; analyzing the response databased on a comparison with a user data model, wherein the user datamodel includes a statistical analysis of previous responses from thedevice associated with the user account; determining, based on thecomparison, whether the response data is outside a threshold range;transmitting an alert to an administrator via a device associated withan administrator account based on the determination; and providing anadministration interface configured to authenticate the administratorand enable review of the response data, the user data model, and theresponse data analysis.
 35. The system of claim 34, wherein theinstructions are further configured to cause the at least one processorto perform the steps of: receiving, from the user via the device, arequest to modify the settings for notifications and monitoringparameters, the settings comprising: one or more attributes to monitor,the attributes being relevant to a condition of the user; a number ofnotifications; or a notification schedule.
 36. The system of claim 34,wherein: the device associated with the user account includes, or iselectronically linked to, a sensor; and the response data comprises datafrom the sensor.
 37. The system of claim 34, wherein the instructionsare further configured to cause the at least one processor to performthe steps of: receiving threshold settings from at least one of the userand the administrator, the threshold settings comprising an upper limitand a lower limit for the threshold range.
 38. The system of claim 34,wherein the alert is transmitted to the user via the device associatedwith the user account.
 39. The system of claim 34, wherein the alertprovides an indication of at least one of: a lack of a response from thedevice associated with the user; and results of analysis of the responsedata to identify trends relating to the response data.
 40. The system ofclaim 34, wherein analyzing the response data further comprises at leastone of: identifying trends in the response data; comparing the responsedata to one or more response parameters; identifying trends in theresponse data and comparing the trends to the one or more responseparameters; and generating an alert specific to the analysis of theresponse data and transmitting the alert to the device associated withthe user in accordance with the one or more schedules.
 41. A tangible,non-transitory computer-readable memory device that stores a set ofinstructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the atleast one processor to perform operations comprising: receiving, from auser via a device associated with a user account, a proposed monitoringscheme for the user, the proposed monitoring scheme comprising settingsfor notifications and monitoring parameters, the settings including: oneor more messages chosen or manually created during a user-authenticatedsession, the one or more messages including personalized queries forattributes, and one or more schedules for providing the personalizedqueries to the user; sending a query to the user via the deviceassociated with the user account, based on the personalized querieschosen or manually created during the user authenticated session; oneof: receiving response data from the device associated with the useraccount, or generating response data indicating a lack of a responsefrom the device associated with the user; analyzing the response databased on a comparison with a user data model, wherein the user datamodel includes a statistical analysis of previous responses from thedevice associated with the user account; determining, based on thecomparison, whether the response data is outside a threshold range;transmitting an alert to an administrator via a device associated withan administrator account based on the determination; and providing anadministration interface configured to authenticate the administratorand enable review of the response data, the user data model, and theresponse data analysis.